Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: The Dream of Ossian (1813)

Herman Melville on Napoleon’s love for Ossian

Context: Ossian is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as Fingal (1761) and Temora (1763), and later combined under the title The Poems of Ossian.

“I am rejoiced to see Hazlitt speak for Ossian. There is nothing more contemptable in that contemptable man (tho' good poet, in his department) Wordsworth, than his contempt for Ossian. And nothing that more raises my idea of Napoleon than his great admiration for him.—The loneliness of the spirit of Ossian harmonized with the loneliness of the greatness of Napoleon.”

Melville wrote this around 1862 in the margins of his copy of Hazlitt’s Lectures on the English Comic Writers and Lectures on the English Poets

Source: Hershel Parker, Herman Melville: A Biography - Volume 2, p. 436

Ossian Relating the Fate of Oscar to Malvina (from 'The Poems of Ossian' by James Macpherson) William Brockedon (1787–1854) Totnes Guildhall

On 7th April 1718 Hugh Blair was born in Edinburgh.

Hugh Blair went to Edinburgh High School and Edinburgh University, graduating Master of Arts in 1739. He was licensed to preach in 1741, and soon after became tutor in the family of Simon, Master of Lovat.

Hugh Blair was a leading figure in the Church of Scotland. He was one of the ‘literati’, Edinburgh’s intellectual élite, an early member of the Select Society and early fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. As Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Edinburgh from 1760, he held the first dedicated chair of English in any university.

Blair gave public lectures on English language, literature and literary criticism. He chaired a sub-society created by the Select Society, called the ‘Society for Promoting the Reading and Speaking of the English Language’.

Blair was closely linked with the appearance and growth in popularity of the controversial Ossian poems, ostensibly translated by James MacPherson. He arranged for the publication of the poems and wrote a preface to MacPherson’s ‘Fragments of ancient poetry’, first published in 1760.

In subsequent debates about the authenticity of the Ossian poems, Blair strongly defended the poems as authentic examples of ancient Gaelic literature. In 1763, he published ‘A critical dissertation on the poems of Ossian’ in which he argued that they were genuine. This dissertation established Blair’s reputation as a literary critic.

Our bard, Rabbie Burns, struck up an unlikely friendship with Blair, the two exchanging letters and anecdotes, even though the poet was over 40 years his junior.

Hugh Blair died 27th December 1800 (aged 82) and is buried in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Art of my boi, my cinnamon roll, Oisean (Ossian), son of Finn McCool in Irish and Scottish mythology and folklore. I may or may not be writing a celtic epic poem in which he is the main character…

What inspires you to write poems?

The white- tipped wings of nouns, hunting for adjectives across the rolling blue tide of verbs-

@dirtyfilthy @cruxymox @quietdissidentlyricist @ossian-bard @thedge-of-forever @betweenthetimeandsound @a-musingmichelle @elvedon @glitteryteenpoems and anyone who wants to join! tag! you’re it!

The Poems of Ossian, the A Million Little Pieces of the 18th century,

Roll on, ye dark-brown years, for ye bring no joy on your course. Let the tomb open to Ossian, for his strength has failed. The sons of the song are gone to rest; my voice remains, like a blast, that roars, lonely, on a sea-surrounded rock, after the winds are laid. The dark moss whistles there, and the distant mariner sees the waving trees.

James Macpherson, 'The Songs of Selma', The Poems of Ossian (1773)

Fantasy sights: Ingres

In my "fantasy read-list" I mostly focus on fantasy texts, but I also include things such as operas or movies. But there is a type of fantasy-inspiring or fantasy-made content I can't talk about in my list: paintings, illustrations, drawings, the original visual mediums. So this is where the "fantasy sights" series comes in, a complement-series presenting some paintings, illustrations and artists either born out of fantasy, or that inspired fantasy.

Let's start with some classics - classical paintings taking back subjects from the "primordial" fantasy of Greek myths, Shakespearian plays, Ossianic epics and more...

To start it all: Ingres. Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres, one of the great French painters of the 19th century.

We begin with one of his most famous works, taken from Greek mythology, "Oedipus explaining the enigma to the Sphinx".

Following this, we have the painting "Roger saving Angélique". From the Orlando Furioso. I do not recall talking about this poem in my reading-list, and yet I should have - but this will be a "little surprise" for those that take the time to both look at the reading-list and watch-list.

The Orlando Furioso is an epic poem of the 16th century composed by the famous Italian poet, the Ariosto. This epic is very noticeable for being a mix of actual historical epic (the background is the war between Charlemagne and the Saracens), of medieval knight-and-warrior adventures (Merlin and Roland appear, among others), and of Greco-Roman motifs (the episode of the "Orco" is a retelling of the Cyclop's tale in the Odyssey, the enchantress Alcina is a perverse and evil Circe, and in the episode depicted here, the Saracen knight Roger saves the princess Angélique from a sea-monster the same way Perseus saved Andromeda from a sea-beast).

We move on to the Ossian-mania that swept Europe when his poems were "found" (wink wink) and translated (wink wink wink), and Ingres' very famous painting meant to illustrate this Celtic epic poetry: Le songe d'Ossian, The dream of Ossian.

We return to Greek mythology with this time another very famous piece of Ingres: Jupiter and Thetis. This is actually an illustration of Homer's The Iliad, depicting the very first chant, and how Thetis the sea-goddess left her watery dwelling to go to Olympos high up in the sky, in order to beg Zeus to spare the life of her son, the hero Achilles.

To match "The dream of Ossian" celebrating this Celtic poetry, I had to place Ingres' piece, "Homer deified, or the apotheosis of Homer", showing the ancient aedes Homer being crowned in front of all the great artists and storytellers of history (including actual modern writers and famous French figures - you can see Boileau, Molière, La Fontaine, Racine, Dante, Phidias, Pindar and many more...)

Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein Stub (August 15, 1783 - 1816) was a now almost forgotten Danish painter - largely autodidact except for some years at the Salzmann School in Germany.

He started out a Neo-Classicist but veered more and more towards Romanticism under the influence of the Ossianic poems. He started dong sequences of mythological illustrations and depictions, as the one seen above.

Above: Alkyone venter forgæves sin bortrejste ægtefælle, 1810 - oil on canvas (SMK)

The Stuarts were also deeply lined to the land indeed, with all three lands. As with their continental counterparts, this link was partly historic, partly mythic. This was particularly true of the Stuarts:

Subsequently, it was to be “those who supported the Divine Right of Kings” who “upheld the historicity of Arthur;” whereas those who did not turned instead “to the laws and customs of the Anglo-Saxons.” Arthur remained a figure central to Stuart propaganda. Stuart iconography celebrated the habits and beliefs of the ancient Britons. In particular, the Royal Oak, still a central symbol of the dynasty, was closely related to ideas about Celtic fertility ritual, and the King’s power as an agent of renewal: “The oak, the largest and strongest tree in the North, was venerated by the Celts as a symbol of the supreme power.” It was thus fitting that an oak should protect Charles II from the Cromwellian troops who wished to strip the sacred new Arthur of his status. The story confirmed the King’s mystical authority, and also his close friendship with nature. Long after 1688, the Stuart dynasty was to be closely linked with images of fertility. In literature, Arthurian images of the Stuarts persisted into the nineteenth century. This “Welsh messiah, the warrior who will come to overthrow the Saxons and Normans,” was an icon of the Stuarts’ claim to be Kings of all Britain, both “Political Hero” and “National Messiah,” in Arthurian mould. Arthur’s status as a legendary huntsman (“the figure of the Wild Huntsman is sometimes identified with Arthur”) was also significant. The Stuarts made much of hunting: it helped to confirm their heroic status as stewards of nature and the land. In doing this, they identified themselves not only with Arthur, but with Fionn, the legendary Gaelic warlord who was in the eighteenth century to be the subject of James Macpherson’s pro-Stuart Ossian poems. Fionn, legends of whom abound in Scotland, was also, like Arthur, scheduled to wake and deliver the nation when danger threatened. In identifying with both figures, the Stuarts were able to simultaneously present themselves as Gaelic and British monarchs. This symbolism was used with peculiar adroitness in Ireland, where the Stuarts were almost never identified with Arthur, but rather with Fionn and heroes from Fionn’s own time. Charles Edward was compared to Fergus, Conall, Conroy, and Angus Oge, while his grandfather became for some a symbol of Ireland herself, a Fenian hero in the making, a foreshadower of the sacrificial politics of such as Pearse: “Righ Shemus, King James, represented the faith of Erin, and so became her comrade in martyrdom.” In famous eighteenth century songs like “the Blackbird,” Ireland was presented as an abandoned woman, waiting for the return of her hero-King. The same symbolism was used in Scotland. “The Gaelic messianic tradition” of Fionn suggested that the Stuart King would one day return to bring light and fecundity to the land. In the Highlands of Scotland, the events of Jacobitism themselves passed into folklore, like the older stories to which they were related. More educated Jacobite sympathisers compared the Stuarts to the heroes of the Roman Republic, to Aeneas, or to the saints. But the view of them as sacred monarchs of folkloric tradition and power was one which endured among all ranks (Murray G.H. Pittock, The Invention of Scotland, pp. 4-5).

On the one hand, such Kings –and the Stuarts in particular – were not only connected to the land, they were its stewards – hunters, guardians of the forest, promoters of agriculture (this is why there are so many national – formerly Royal – stud farms, sheep folds, and cattle pens across Europe).

826CHI - Finger Paintings from Demo Duck on Vimeo.

How does one’s relationship with creativity change over time? Does it slowly fade as we grow up? Or can we find sparks of inspiration in moments and memories?

These are the themes explored in “Finger Paintings,” a beautiful poem written by a teen author named Isabela. Isabela is one of the many students connected with 826CHI, a non-profit creative writing, tutoring and publishing center dedicated to amplifying the voices of Chicago youth. Since 2018, Demo Duck has partnered with 826CHI on a variety of projects to amplify their organization’s message and bring to life the work of their young authors.

This wonderful piece of course, starts with Isabela. Our team hosted Isabela and the 826CHI team for a voiceover session in our office, where she added her unique voice, emotions and perspective to the read. We then brought “Finger Paintings” to life using colorful 2D animation and even elements of Isabela’s life as design inspiration.

Learn more about 826CHI’s mission and how to donate or volunteer: 826chi.org/

Agency: Demo Duck Client: 826CHI Writer and VO: Isabela Producer: Jarrett Hothan Producer: Tinbit Asfaw Production Coordinator: Colin Hogan Art Director, Storyboards, Design and Animation: Ossian Mendoza Art Director, Storyboards, Design and Animation: Aimé DeLattre Animator: Rohan McDonald Recording Engineer and Sound Design: Nick Roth

I propose a new aesthetic - druidcore/druid academia.

I love dark academia as much as the next person, but it can be quite elitist and male-dominated. I propose the druid academia/druidcore aesthetic - a new aesthetic combining elements of dark and witchy academia with a Celtic and Arthurian mythology twist (as opposed to Roman/Greek mythology). This aesthetic is better for women as Celtic culture was matriarchal and the female figures are more developed and interesting than the love interests you typically find in dark academia. It could also promote the study of Celtic culture and languages, including languages that are under threat like Irish Gaelic. 

But that’s enough background. Picture this:

Walking through the rain on your way to class, finding beauty in the way the mist falls across the road. Knowing which phase the moon is in at all times. Lying in forest clearings and on rooftops to gaze at the stars, finding constellations that correspond with Celtic mythology. Annotating The Poems of Ossian, revelling in the joy of reading something so beautiful and yet so controversial. Listening to poetry readings and harp music. Speaking softly to a lover in Gaelic. Continuing the living tradition of oral storytelling, feeling a thrill when you speak certain words that are not to be written. Arguing with Latin students about Boudicca because “she wasn’t a psycho, Julian,” and pointing out the shortcomings of Christianity both in the present and the past. Smashing the patriarchy with the power of art, going to peaceful protests and passionately advocating for social and environmental justice. Having tattoos. Spending time in nature, especially in forests and by the water’s edge. Listening to Hozier 24/7.

February 17th 1796 saw the death of poet James MacPherson.

MacPherson is mainly known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems, he was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie, Badenoch, Inverness-shire and educated at King's College, Aberdeen.

Macpherson presented the Ossian poems as authentic translations of an original oral work by a legendary Gaelic bard, Ossian. They turned out to be hugely influential -inspiring artists, composers and writers. The poems evoked a coherent, mythic world, equivalent to the classical legends and characters of Homer. However, controversy soon followed, with detractors claiming that Macpherson had written the works himself. It is now believed he used existing Gaelic ballads, adding themes and references from other sources.

His first book of poems, The Highlander in 1758, was no a success but after collecting Gaelic manuscripts and having orally transmitted Gaelic poems transcribed with the encouragement of the poet John Home and the financial support of Edinburgh Minister and author he published the English-language text "Fragments of ancient poetry", collected in the Highlands of Scotland. The next year he started publishing the Ossian poems.

So who was Ossian? He was a legendary Irish Bard who is said to be the son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool.

Macphersons poems were a massive success, admirers and people who took inspiration are like a who's who, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Napoleon and Diderot were great admirers, and Voltaire wrote parodies of them. Thomas Jefferson thought Ossian "the greatest Poet that has ever existed"

In his later years he bought an estate, to which he gave the name Belville or Balavil, in his native Inverness-shire, where he died at the age of 59. Macpherson's remains were carried from Scotland to Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not The Ossian poems were genuine or not we will never know but they are hailed as classics in their own right.

Ossian's Grave in Glenann, Country Antrim, Ireland

This incredible court cairn from the Stone Age is traditionally known as the grave of the warrior poet (awesome job) Ossian, a son of Finn MacCool

John Hewitt, poet of the glens, who is now buried in the same field, wrote a poem about the landmark:

We stood and pondered on the stones whose plan displays their pattern still; the small blunt arc, and, sill by sill, the pockets stripped of shards and bones. The legend has it, Ossian lies beneath this landmark on the hill, asleep till Fionn and Oscar rise to summon his old bardic skill in hosting their last enterprise. This, stricter scholarship denies, declares this megalithic form millennia older than his time - if such lived ever, out of rime - was shaped beneath Sardinian skies, was coasted round the capes of Spain, brought here through black Biscayan storm, to keep men's hearts in mind of home and its tall Sun God, wise and warm, across the walls of toppling foam, against this twilight and the rain. I cannot tell; would ask no proof; let either story stand for true, as heart or head shall rule. Enough that, our long meditation done, as we paced down the broken lane by the dark hillside's holly trees, a great white horse with lifted knees came stepping past us, and we knew his rider was no tinker's son.